To Regret or to Accept
by This-Is-Caketown
Summary: Rewind to season one before everything changed. For Skye, just as everything is falling into place her life takes an unexpected turn down a road she never thought she'd travel. Suddenly she's confronted with the biggest decision of her life: to run from her uncertain future and leave her baby to grow up as she did, or to stay and break the cycle. But for Skye, it's never that easy.
1. Chapter 1: A Rough Introduction

**So I'm starting this story out and I have a general idea of where I want it to go, but I just got so excited that I ended up writing the first chapter all at once and thought I'd publish it to see what people think. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I'd really appreciate some feedback so I can see if this is worth pursuing!**

**It's taking place in season one (before the whole Hydra event and evil Ward and all that good stuff) so not much from season two will be mentioned in the story! It's just as if Skye and Ward had time to let their relationship grow and the team is still out on the bus hunting down the bad guys.**

**Anyway, onto Skyeward because for about half a second they were adorable.**

* * *

"Skye." She could hear him loud and clear through her earpiece as she feverishly worked on her laptop.

"I'm working on it, AC," Skye said warningly, her fingers flying over the keys as she sought to gain access into the building's mainframe so that she alone would have control over its access-granting DNA reading pads. She was already trying to ignore Fitz and Simmons who looked on over her shoulder with interest, and having to deal with yet another request to speed things up would bring Skye to her boiling point pretty fast.

"Forget about that. I know you've been dying for a chance to see the action up close. Now's your chance." Skye could hear the smile in his words even over the sound of loud thuds and heavy falls. May and Ward must be doing pretty well if Coulson thought it was safe for a level 2 clearance to join the ranks.

_Ward._

"I think I'll be more useful on the bus," Skye made herself answer, trying to seem like nothing was wrong as the fingers that had previously paused along with her thoughts resumed their typing. She could hear the groans of disbelief behind her from Fitz and Simmons but tuned them out. Skye has been making a huge deal over not being allowed to go on the field during missions and even got her S.O. to say "a comment" about her improved skills. But Coulson, protective of his agents as always, refused.

"Never mind the doors. There are other ways in," Coulson explained through her earpiece right as a loud yell and a thud came through the device. Again she ignored the "Yes, _go_"s coming from behind her.

"No thanks AC" Skye said firmly, her eyes now on the holographic image of the complicated access system hovering before her.

"Skye, I'm not requesting. We'll be in the West Wing of the building."

"But-"

"No buts. You haven't trained this hard for nothing."

So of course five minutes later Skye found herself running past fallen bodies, weapon always at the ready. Though she knew all possible enemies has been neutralized, she knew enough by now to always stay vigilant. "Clear your mind," Ward would tell her. "Watch your surroundings. Forget your own body, focus on movement around you." But that was a little difficult seeing as Skye was much more preoccupied with her own thoughts and fears at the moment than the reflections off the metallic walls that could clue her in to approaching enemies.

Despite her lack of focus Skye made it to the West Wing without incident, immediately lowering her gun when she found Coulson, May, and Ward investigating a body, waiting for her.

_Ward._

Her stomach clenched uncomfortably as her gaze inevitably fell on him, though as soon as he looked up she shifted and moved to the other side of May, as far away from her S.O. as she could manage. _Not yet, _she reminded herself. _This is not the time to worry about it. You have time._ Skye tried to push all thoughts of Ward and herself out of her mind as she listened to Coulson and May discuss the latest victim of a serial-superkiller-Centipede-experiment-gone-horribly-wrong that Coulson has been assigned to catch. This was the second killer they were too late to save, and Skye could see the guilt written all over Coulson's face.

"He may have escaped today, but we're getting warmer," Coulson said grimly, an almost cruel joke as whatever screwed up guy was out there looking for blood had the ability to raise the temperature of whatever he touched.

"We'll stop him before the next one," May said firmly, looking down at the body angrily. Skye nodded her eyes on the victim as well.

"Whether he knows it or not, he's leaving us a trail. One we can track," she agreed, though she wasn't completely positive that this was feasible. Still, Coulson nodded as he squatted beside the body, investigating further. As if they had the same thought the team moved away to give him his space. Skye moved along the walls of the West Wing (a part of the latest Centipede complex that was really no more than a warehouse), investigating the various boxes and packages that adorned the warehouse. Most of them all looked the same of course, but one package had a slightly different feel to it. Skye was in the middle of examining what exactly was off about it when she felt another presence beside her.

"So. Tonight, I was thinking…" Ward trailed off, a hand resting lightly on her hip. Skye tore her eyes form the package and jerked her head in his direction at the sound of his voice, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"We were just over there staring at this dead guy's half-melted face and you still want to get freaky later?" She hissed, trying not to draw May's attention. But May was at the opposite corner from them, too far to overhear. Skye stepped to the side easily and Ward let his hand fall.

"If you don't have something to get you past the melted faces, you'll end up hating your job and your life," Ward said matter-of-factly, moving beside her and pretending to look at a box on the ground. Sky sighed, causing Ward to shoot her a vaguely concerned look.

"Not tonight, Ward. They'll get suspicious," was the only explanation Skye offered up. Ward opened his mouth to argue (or so Skye assumed) but she was already heading towards the opposite end of the warehouse, far away from any prying eyes or questions. Skye knew she would never be able to be with Ward in that way until she told him, but the idea of voicing it aloud just…made it real.

Skye wandered down the aisle of packages, hardly noticing the slight increase in temperature as she turned a corner down the aisle against the wall. She wasn't doing anything wrong, really. Just taking her time. Planning. Being responsible, like she was supposed—

There was a split second of indecision as a large figure slid out in front of her, not more than three feet away. Haunting yellow eyes met Skye's, and though sweat rapidly began to roll down her body, a mixture of both fear and heat, it was like ice had grabbed Skye's heart and squeezed it tightly. All her training flew out the window as she backed away, the man moving closer with her. Skye screamed as she reached for her gun, only to find that it was caught on her jeans. This was why she needed special secret agent clothes like May. If she had time she would be swearing, cursing, pulling for the weapon but as the man reached out towards her and she stumbled for half a second over her own feet, Skye knew it was no use. She saw him lunge, felt him grab her, and then heard several shots ring out as a loud pained wail from somewhere nearby rang out. Her body was thrown, not dropped, but _thrown _into the cold metal scaffolding in the middle of the aisle. Skye's eyes opened for a brief moment as she felt her body flying backward, her gaze landing on an absolutely terrified Ward.

_Ward._

_The baby._

And then it all went dark.

* * *

**Thanks for reading this first chapter! If you plan to keep reading, awesome because you're going to have to wait a little while to see what happens with Skye. The next chapter is mainly explaining how things got this far if you know what I mean...So let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2: Back to the Start

**So I meant to wait a few days, but these two won't shut up and I feel like I just have to write it all down. I had a lot more planned for this chapter but since it's almost twice as long as the first chapter I decided to split it up into at least two parts. So this chapter as well as the next will be focused on Skye and Ward's past before the accident. I like this one much better than the first chapter, so I'd really appreciate some input! Let me know what you think :)**

* * *

_Two months earlier..._

It was a Monday just like any other that found Skye dancing around the punching bag, throwing her fists at it every few seconds. She fought the urge to look back at her S.O. after a particularly satisfying smack, instead concentrating on keeping her jabs short, fast, and even. The problem with working out so often was that Skye tired easily, and Ward never seemed content to let her stop. He was always the one to push her past her breaking point and today was no exception.

"You're slowing," Ward remarked from a few feet away, watching as Skye's hair began to pull itself loose from her ponytail and listening as her breathing increased. He could feel exactly what she was feeling, the burn of the lactic acid in her muscles as she pushed her body through the pain. As her S.O., it was his job to push her and make her stronger.

"You don't think I know that?" Skye snapped through gritted teeth, her fists still flying through the air.

"You're getting sloppy," was Ward's only response as he began to move, not completely circling the punching bag but pacing far enough to see Skye's form from all angles.

He tried to ignore any inappropriate thoughts that arose, forcing himself to think of only the lesson.

"You need constant disciple. If you really want to be as fierce as The Cavalry, you'll have to learn to hold your own," Ward chuckled, stepping back as Skye shot him a venomous look.

"I'll show your face what's fierce," Skye muttered, landing a perfect punch on the bag.

"Excuse me, what was that?" Ward asked, stepping close to his rookie and staring down at her. Skye muttered something under her breath and shook her head just as Ward made a calculated move and pushed the punching bag away from Skye right as she went in to land a hard punch, causing her to stumble and curse under her breath.

"I think you need to learn some manners," Ward said mildly, fighting back the smile that threatened to erupt at the sight of Skye's livid face.

"Well do you want me to train, or not?" Skye demanded, her hands landing on her hips as she stared up at Ward menacingly. He really, really tried to be the patient mentor. He did. But Ward held his laughter in for all of three seconds before he let it all out, slowly releasing the punching bag as he did so.

"Come on, you're done for the day," he chuckled, shaking his head. He looked over at Skye expecting to see her angry kitten face but instead saw a smile threatening to break out across her own features. Looking at her just that way, with the crappy jet lighting and her workout clothes a mess from the day's exertion, Ward had never had a harder time forcing thoughts about his rookie to leave his mind. Normally he'd just walk away and go off by himself for a while until he felt more in control. Today though, he couldn't help delving deeper into the belly of the beast.

"Drink?" Ward asked, cocking his head in the general direction of upstairs where the bar would be. "Sure thing, Agent Ward. Just gotta take a shower first," Skye said amiably, all traces of anger gone. Ward nodded but swallowed uncomfortably, deciding that the only image of Skye that could come close to replacing the one of her after a good workout would be her wrapped in a towel after a shower. Preferably with him in it. Ward shook his head, determined to remember the distance he needed to keep.

* * *

If Ward did remember his distance, he didn't remember to follow his own rules. The training sessions with Skye became much more lenient, and while he did push her to work past her limits he found himself standing closer to her and offering her more guidance than he previously had before. It was during one of these sessions where Ward had Skye out on the mat and was showing her new ways to disarm and incapacitate an enemy that saw Agents Coulson and May looking on from the platform above.

"I think they're getting along nicely," Coulson remarked from where he rested against the railing, though he couldn't help the troubled frown as he watched the two of them spar on the mat, echoes of laughter and lighthearted insults reaching his ears.

"Too nicely," May essentially grunted, leaning back against the doorway and watching the agents. This wasn't the first time she'd noticed the two agents behaving a little too inappropriately. Just the other night they'd been sitting at the bar talking, and May hadn't missed the way Skye leaned towards Agent Ward or the way he watched her every move.

"So what are you thinking, Agent May?" Coulson asked, straightening up and stepping towards her. May was silent for a few moments as she watched Agent Ward flip Skye over onto the mat.

"I think if they aren't separated you're going to have a broken protocol on your hands," she stated. Coulson sighed, unsure what would be the best course of action.

"We'll give them some time. If things are still developing as they are in a few weeks, we'll reassess," Coulson decided. He looked to Agent May for approval but found none. She stared down at the sparring agents and shook her head almost imperceptivity before turning and heading back to her cockpit.

"Be smart," Coulson muttered under his breath, shooting Skye and Ward one last glance before returning to his office. Though if he was honest with himself, he wasn't sure who he was speaking to—himself, or the young agent he'd taken under his wing just a short while ago.

* * *

"I need a word with you."

Ward looked up from where he lounged on one of the more comfortable couches the plane had to offer, reading an old, beaten-up book he carried with him. Well, more like reading for the umpteenth time the old letter that served as Ward's bookmark. The paper was old and wrinkled by now, a sure sign that it had been open and read many times over. But letters from Ward's grandmother were few and far between and Ward kept them safe for as long as they could last.

"Sure. What about?" He asked, gauging the appearance of the woman standing in front of him. Before he met Agent May, Ward had considered himself an expert at reading faces. But when it came to The Cavalry he was completely lost.

"Privately," was all May had to say, turning away from Ward and heading to the cockpit. Taking it as a cue that he should follow Ward sighed and dropped his book, taking his time to stretch before following May into the privacy of the cockpit.

"Is it something I did?" he asked lazily once he entered and closed the door, leaning back against it.

"What are you planning to do with Skye?" May was quick and to the point, crossing her arms as she stared down the taller man. She was, after all, someone who was used to intimidating others.

"Do with her." Ward repeated, staring at Agent May with a raised eyebrow, mimicking her stance as he waited for clarification.

"Are you going to sleep with her?" Grant Ward was stunned—this was not a conversation he'd expected to have, and with Melinda May of all agents.

"If you have a problem with the way I train my student, then you can just tell me that," Ward said in exasperation, watching her in disbelief.

"You need to cool it with her. Anyone can see how she looks at you. You're going to put this whole team in danger. Letting her off easy during training sessions, flirting with her like she's some high school crush. You're not a child, Grant. So stop acting like one." It didn't take a genius to see that May meant every word. She clearly didn't believe Skye was progressing well enough or that Ward could be trusted with her training.

"I know how to train her. She responds better with positive reinforcement than she does with abusive training." Ward was vaguely aware that it sounded like they were discussing housebreaking a dog, but he waved the idea away as he stared down the most intimidating member of the team.

"I'm not telling you to be abusive. I'm telling you to be distant. Firm. Stop giving her the wrong impression. Because I know you aren't about to break protocol and jeopardize your position in S.H.I.E.L.D." May's warning tone carried with it a heavy weight that made Ward bristle with anger.

"You're asking me to-"

"No, Ward, I'm not. I'm telling you. Stop it now. You're her S.O., her trainer, nothing more. Make sure she knows that or I will." May stared straight into Ward's eyes, leaving him without a doubt that May would follow through with that threat. At the same time he reached this conclusion May turned and switched her focus to the controls, hitting a few switches before settling into her seat.

"You can go now," she said dismissively. Ward stood frozen in his fury for a moment before he wrenched the door open and walked through the common area, where of course Skye was investigating the book that lay on the couch. Without a word Ward grabbed the book and stalked past her, heading down to the cargo bay.

"Hey, Ward. I didn't read it, I swear. I was just…Um. Hello? Earth to Ward? Where are you going?" Skye was trailing behind Ward so closely that she didn't notice at first when he spun around, causing her to stop abruptly right in front of him.

"The gym. Meet me there in five minutes," he ordered sharply, bringing a deep frown to Skye's features.

"But we don't train for another hour."

"You need the extra practice. Five minutes. Go," he snapped, whirling again towards the stairs that would take him to their makeshift gym to set everything up. Skye grumbled as she headed back to her bunk to change, knowing full well that this next training session was going to be anything but fun.

* * *

As it turns out, Skye was right. An hour later she lay sprawled on her back, rubbing the back of her head painfully as she sucked in oxygen. "You knocked the freaking wind out of me," she accused as she slowly made it to her feet, wincing as her body protested the movements. At least she was glad that Fitz-Simmons had retired to the common area with a board game, leaving Skye and her S.O. alone with her humiliation.

"Again," Ward commanded, getting into the position that Skye would need to break in order to not end up flipped over on the ground again.

"No. We've been at this for an hour and we haven't accomplished anything. I'm exhausted, you're just…you, and I'm supposed to be researching something for Coulson. I'm done." Skye bent down to roll up the mat, not noticing the livid expression on Ward's face. She hadn't made it far when a foot came down hard on the piece of the mat that was already rolled up, and Skye straightened up to see Ward staring down at her.

"Did I say we were finished?" He demanded, his hands on his hips as he fixed her with an even stare that might have made Skye rethink her actions if she wasn't as fed up with the failed session as he was.

"No, _I_ did," Skye snarled right back. She started to bend down and pick up the mat again but found herself jerked backward by Ward's hand on her arm. "What the hell, Ward," she asked, surprised as he pulled her to her feet. "I said that I'm-" She met his gaze and paused mid-insult when she noticed the look in his eyes.

Skye meant to finish her sentence, had her argument all planned out in her head, but none of that mattered once Ward pulled her closer and brought his mouth to hers, not allowing a moment's pause for Skye to even think about pulling away. Not that she wanted to.

The kiss was hot and demanding and ruthless, leaving Skye practically shaking in Ward's grasp. He pushed her the way he pushed her in all things, past her breaking point and further as he ravaged her mouth. There was nothing sweet or gentle in this kiss, nothing but reckless desire and a haunting need for closeness. Skye didn't know when or how she'd managed to press herself right up against her S.O., but here she was, breathless and drowning and hoping that he never let her up for air. She never wanted this to stop.

But of course like all good things, the kiss ended much too soon for Skye. She stared up at Ward, their eyes meeting for only a few brief moments as the two of them breathed heavily together. And then Ward was gone, disappearing up the stairs and leaving Skye behind to recover on her own.

With shaky hands Skye reached up to touch her now swollen lips, burning the memory of that kiss into her mind for good. She had no idea what the hell had just happened, but Skye did know one thing—she wanted it to happen again, and soon.


	3. Chapter 3: A Classic Love Story

**So I'm back with another chapter! To be honest I'm not too wild about this one. It went through a lot of rewrites and rearranging before it turned into something I'm okay with publishing. Part of it is because these are meant to be glimpses into Skye and Ward's life so it can continue at a normal pace once the story returns to present day, but this wasn't my best chapter so please bear with me! This one is a lot longer than the first two chapters which is partly why it took some time to finish, but things are also starting to get a little crazy so unfortunately updates might not be as frequent now.**

**That being said, there are some almost-explicit parts to the story in this chapter. I'm trying to keep this story as close to a T rating as possible and I've never been one for writing mature scenes but it was hard to trim down what I needed to keep this chapter from being too much. So I've decided that at some point I'll be uploading an M rated story with a collection of scenes where the story could have gotten more in depth, if you know what I mean. That won't be for a little while though!**

**And finally, it looks like it's going to take one more chapter before we get back to where Skye and the rest of the team are. So hopefully one more chapter (fingers crossed)!**

* * *

If life on the plane had continued as it was things might have stayed the way they were between Skye and Ward, or maybe even petered out. Ever since the kiss nearly a week ago Skye had been trying to catch Ward's eye but the other agent seemed just as determined to avoid hers. He rarely showed up for the scheduled training sessions but Skye persisted, working hard on her own even when her S.O. went MIA. So focused was she on her training routine that she went plenty of practices without noticing her mentor occasionally watching her from above. When Ward was present he always arrived late and spoke few words that weren't commands. Not once did he make a move to touch Skye. But despite his body language Skye would grin to herself, taking it as proof that she wasn't the only one who felt the growing attraction between them. Ward was forcing them apart by sheer will, but one day he would cave. Life on the plane might be quiet at the moment, but things were bound to change soon.

And change they did. It wasn't long at all before the team found themselves on a mission bound for the Swiss Alps on a supposed 0-8-4, a mission that sounded both risky and thrilling enough for Skye to choose as her first big debut as a field agent. She cornered Coulson just as their plane landed at the pre-designated site, begging him to let her join them.

"Come on Coulson, I'm ready. You know I am. I've been training and working with Ward and I'm really good now. Guns? No problem. You can use some extra protection. I'm your guy," Skye grinned up at Coulson, aiming to make it more difficult for him to turn her down. Despite her expectant smile Coulson had "that look" on his face that always meant the same thing: no.

"No, Skye. Not yet. Your time will come, but right now we have an uncertain threat guarded by a team of mercenaries. It's no time to experiment with what you can do," Coulson refused, though it was obvious that the older agent was at least somewhat amused. Skye opened her mouth to protest, but Coulson silenced her with a hand on her shoulder and an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. But right now I need you here." Skye bit back any unkind retorts and nodded, earning an approving last pat from Coulson before he descended the stairs to meet up with Ward and May. It wasn't easy for Skye to hold back, but she knew enough about Coulson now to see that he valued teamwork over personalized skill. And if earning his trust meant hanging back for a few missions she would do it without complaint. Well, maybe a couple times. Or just this once. Skye sighed and turned back to her bunk to grab her laptop before the team left, knowing it would be awhile before they actually headed out.

* * *

As Coulson descended the stairs he mulled over Skye's request, deciding he'd done the right thing by forbidding the agent to join them. Skye was improving, that was obvious. But she wasn't there yet. And besides, he had some other concerns. Concerns that only came back to him loud and clear as Ward approached him, his eyes scanning the room.

"Sir, I wanted to see if you-" Ward began, but Coulson just waved him off.

"Out with it, Agent Ward," Coulson said in resignation, nodding towards Agent May as he checked the trunk of the SUV to make sure they had the essentials they would need for the mission.

"I think Skye should come with us. She's strong, she's smart, and she's ready," Ward said firmly, remaining a respectful distance from Coulson as he watched the older man critically.

"Is that your professional opinion, Agent Ward, or were you coerced into telling me this?" Coulson asked, closing the trunk once he finished counting the weapons and gear.

"Sir?" Ward asked, eyeing Coulson with the utmost confusion.

"Tell me Agent Ward, how is Skye these days? I hardly see her anymore, seeing as she's permanently glued to your hip," Coulson said pointedly, raising a questioning eyebrow. Though it had been some time since Ward had publicly enjoyed Skye's company, Coulson's thoughts clearly hadn't been eased with the distance Ward had sought to keep between them. Ward got the message loud and clear and nodded stiffly at his superior.

"I can assure you that it's my opinion as her S.O. She wants to be out there, and she's ready," Ward said firmly. Coulson sighed and shook his head, fixing Ward with the same apologetic glance he'd given Skye.

"I'm sorry Ward, but this is exactly the reason I can't let her come with us yet. Maybe we'll have Agent May train with her a few times, get another opinion. For now it's just you, May, and myself," Coulson explained. Ward nodded respectfully and gave up without another word. He followed Coulson over to where May and Fitz-Simmons were standing, saying their usual good-byes.

"We'll see you soon sir, Agent May, Agent Ward," Simmons said cheerfully, Fitz nodding beside her.

"And don't worry. We'll make sure Skye doesn't follow you," Fitz attempted to whisper.

"Don't think I didn't hear that," a voice said warningly from above them. Everyone looked up to see Skye jumping down the stairs and landing besides the scientists. She playfully smacked Fitz on the arm with the back of hand, though her eyes were focused on someone else. Still, that small motion was enough to ignite something in Ward, a small echo of the possessive desire he'd felt that day during Skye's training. There was half an awkward moment of silence before Skye grinned and gave a little wave.

"Soo, be safe everyone. And don't forget to bring back gifts!" Coulson chuckled as May rolled her eyes and retreated to the car. Ward nodded gruffly to the group before turning to follow his team. The remaining agents backed up the ramp to watch the team depart, and Skye gave a long suffering sigh.

"Damn, I wish I was going with them," she muttered. Fitz groaned and muttered his usual "oh, here we go" and Simmons just shook her head.

"You say that now, Skye, but sometimes it's best to be settled in your own little lab," she said breezily, moving to close the cargo bay door.

"Says the one who pushed us to go into the field," Fitz added in mock outrage, though his valid point fell on deaf ears.

"But don't you worry about them out there? They could get hurt," Skye pointed out, though the joking smile on her face showed she wasn't too worried. She trusted Ward. He would bring them back safely. But when it came down to it, they were her team too and she didn't like watching them drive away knowing they were going somewhere she couldn't follow, too far away for her to be of any use to them. She'd feel a hell of a lot better if she could be with them when things got rough.

"To be honest, I'd worry more if they had the extra weight to worry about," Fitz interjected, nodding sagely. Skye sighed and shook her head before retreating back up to the briefing room to stay in contact with her team, Simmons and Fitz following as they always did.

"Besides, they've done this a dozen times now," Simmons smiled, patting Skye on the back to cheer her up. "Everything will be fine."

* * *

So of course everything did not go fine. Three hours later Skye, Simmons, and Fitz waited anxiously on the ramp as whoever was behind the wheel rocketed into the cargo bay and slammed on the brakes. The driver's side door flew open as May sprang out, racing for the button that would close the cargo bay door just as Coulson jumped out of passenger's side door. Fitz and Simmons were immediately beside Coulson, asking what was wrong. But Skye just stared at the door to the backseat, silently willing it to open just as violently as the others had.

_Come on, Ward._

"May! Get us in the air. Fitz-Simmons,I need your help. Ward's been hit," Coulson ordered, May already sprinting up the steps towards the cockpit. Skye ran past the others and wrenched the backseat door open in a panic, letting out a breath of relief when she saw Ward, sitting upright and staring back at her with his hand outstretched to open the door.

"Oh thank god," Skye breathed, stepping back so he could make his way out of the car. "I thought you were dead." Ward gave a quick barking laugh at that, his eyes closing momentarily in pain as he stepped out of the car.

"Stand back Skye, we're going to need to get him into the lab and pull the bullet out," Simmons advised. Skye nodded and backed up a few steps, watching as Coulson and Fitz helped Ward make his way onto the table in the lab. Skye gasped when she saw the blood spilling down Ward's arm as well as the growing wet splotch on his undershirt, following the group into the lab from a distance, watching as they managed to get Ward onto the table.

"Pulse is stable. Breathing is good," Simmons noted, looking up at Coulson for confirmation. Coulson nodded, watching Ward worriedly as the younger man glared at the two from his seat on the table.

"Gunshot wounds to the hip and upper arm. The hip looks like a surface wound, but I think the second is a bit deeper," Coulson explained.

"I'm fine. I've had worse than this before," he pointed out, though neither Simmons nor Coulson stopped to listen to his argument.

"How did this happen, sir?" Simmons asked, voicing the quested that had Skye bouncing on the balls of her feet, torn between not wanting to draw attention to herself and risk getting kicked out of the room but also wanting to know what had happened.

"We just managed to grab the 0-8-4 when a second team came out of hiding and ambushed us," Coulson explained, wiping his split lip on the back of his arm. "We tried to patch him up before we left, but there was no time."

"It's a good thing you didn't. Luckily you're right, this is more of a flesh wound. Any playing around with it and it could have gone much deeper," Simmons told Coulson in a hushed tone as she examined the skin around the initial injury. Skye looked up at her in disbelief at the word "luckily"—_seriously? _"We need to take off his shirt though so I can get to the wound."

There was a lurch as the plane began to move, causing the table to shift and Ward to yell out in pain as Simmons and Fitz dove to collect the items they needed to dig the bullet out of Ward's hip before they toppled off their respective counters. Without thinking Skye abandoned her position by the door and moved to be beside him, smiling as reassuringly as she could at him. Takeoffs were never particularly easy, but this one seemed especially awful as the plane hurdled unsteadily upward, causing Ward to yell out in pain again, sweat now collecting on his face.

"Ward-" Skye began, trying to think of some way to comfort him.

"Skye," he breathed through gritted teeth. Skye leaned closer, her eyes never leaving his. "Get out." Skye didn't move, just stared at him as Coulson moved to quickly rip Ward's shirt off for easier access to his bullet wound.

"I said go," he yelled at her, his eyes large and round and full of pain that Skye wished she could just take away from him.

"No," Skye said firmly, stepping closer to the table. "I'm not leaving."

"Okay, I'm ready," Simmons called out, holding a terrifyingly large metal instrument and moving towards Ward's hip, ready to extract the bullet.

"Not until she's out of here," Ward hissed, narrowing his eyes at Skye. Skye stared right back at him, completely dumbfounded.

"Oh for heaven's sake, Skye, you need to go," Simmons snapped, watching Ward with obvious concern on her face.

"Skye, out," Coulson said quietly, jerking his head in the direction of the cargo bay.

"Fine," Skye said angrily, throwing her hands up as she backed away. "What the hell do I care." She maintained her composure as she left the lab with all its glass walls behind her, but the moment she made it out of the cargo area it was all Skye would do to keep from breaking down. She cast a quick glance around her and ran up the stairs into the main cabin, settling into one of the many plush white seats by the window. She sat with her knees against her chest and her back pressed against the soft material, staring dejectedly out the window at the baby blue sky.

Why did this affect her so much? It wasn't like she and Ward were in a relationship. So what if he kissed her once? A kiss was just a kiss. Even if it was the kind of kiss that had the power to wake someone from a deep sleep because man, Skye had never felt more alive than when she was with Ward for those few moments. It had been the kind of kiss that sparks a legend or a fairytale, but Ward had made it obvious that neither of those stories would be in her future. She needed to get over it just as he had apparently gotten over her.

Skye was in the middle of nursing her hurt ego when she heard rather than saw Fitz approach, pause a moment, and then settle in the seat across from her.

"Are you alright?" He asked, leaning forward to place a light hand on her shoulder. It amazed Skye how different this touch was from the last time she'd felt a hand on her arm. Skye looked over at Fitz and forced a smile, dropping her legs so she didn't seem quite as pathetic.

"Yeah, I'm alright. How's he doing?" She asked, going for that whole nonchalant, I'm-just-asking-because-it's-what-nice-people-do sound. Judging by Fitz's face, it wasn't very believable.

"If you ask me, he's being a bit of a baby about it." Skye could hear the smile in his words and chuckled lightly, offering him a smile as well.

"I'm Agent Grant Ward and I can kick any agent I want out of a lab. But only if I've been shot," Skye mimicked, more for Fitz's benefit than hers. He shook quietly with laughter, shaking his head.

"He'll be okay, you know," he said once the laughter had died down. "Simmons said it really was just a flesh wound, but he'd lost a lot of blood on the way back. That's probably why he snapped at you. And the worst part was really just his arm. He'll have to be in a sling for a couple weeks, but he should still be able to shoot the legs of a flea from 500 yards as long as it's not windy." Skye did a double take at Fitz's joke, holding her laugh in for about a second before she was dying. Fitz chortled along with her, the light flush to his face showing how delighted he was to bring that sound from Skye. When she didn't stop, however, concern began to take laughter's place.

"What is it?" He asked, looking at her suspiciously.

"Fitz, that was funny," Skye said shakily as she laughed, wiping her eyes as she calmed herself. Fitz opened his mouth to say something more, but the sound of approaching footsteps sobered them up immediately. All memory of Fitz's recurring joke forgotten, Skye sprang to her feet just as Coulson walked into the common area. He stopped when he saw them, heading over towards them just as Skye ran to his side.

"How is he?" She demanded to know.

"He's fine. Simmons pulled the bullet fragments out and he's just resting. Alone," Coulson hinted, staring at Skye sharply.

"I know, I know. Can't a trainee worry about her S.O.?" Skye asked, honestly interested in the question. Coulson made it obvious that he suspected her motives, but she hadn't done anything wrong. Not really.

"Of course," Fitz piped up from beside her. Coulson gave Fitz a strained smile and nodded.

"Right, of course. I'll see you two in a bit—I need to make a call to HQ, see where we go from here," Coulson sighed, turning back to his own little cabin.

"Later AC," Skye called out, feeling much more relaxed now that she knew Ward would be fine. Since that crisis was averted, she figured she had earned some time to herself to-

"Want to play a game or something?" Fitz asked hopefully. "I hear you're the one to beat at Battleship." Fitz's grin dimmed the second Skye shot him an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry Fitz, I think I just need some van time right now."

"Right, no, of course. Totally understandable. I'll just play with, uh, Simmons!" Fitz called out when his fellow labbie ascended the stairs. "Battleship?" He asked her cheerfully. Skye laughed to herself as she snuck away, half-listening to Simmons berate Fitz for thinking she'd want to play Battleship before she had time to shower Ward's blood off her hands. Skye shivered but kept going, only pausing when she passed the lab to peer in through the glass. Ward was in there sitting at the table, flexing his arm slowly. Skye only meant to observe for a moment but apparently it was one moment too long as Ward suddenly turned and saw her. Skye at least had the good sense to drop her gaze and turn towards the SUV, crawling in through the side opposite to the one where Ward had sat. Once safe within the dark confines of the black leather and tinted windows, Skye breathed a long sigh of relief.

She wasn't exactly sure how long she sat there before the door opposite her opened. It could have been half an hour, it could have been two. But when Skye looked over and saw Ward climb into the car to sit beside her, her jaw practically fell open.

"Are you going to tell me to get out?" Skye asked as she looked away, mentally patting herself on the back for how calm she managed to keep her voice. Ward just looked at her for a moment without speaking as if he was deciding.

"No, I'm not," he said evenly, shifting slightly. The new position made it possible for Skye to see the sling that held his arm, and she felt a tinge of pity for her S.O.

"Look, Ward. I'm sorry I stepped into your personal pace, or whatever. I should have left as soon as you said you didn't want me." Skye's speech faltered as she met Ward's eyes, and she cleared her throat hastily.

"There. Didn't want me _there_," she corrected herself. She meant to continue with her apology, but Skye was distracted. She couldn't quite explain what it was but something was off in the way Ward carried himself tonight. Something about him just wasn't…right. The longer Skye studied him, the clearer the answer became—she knew why he was here. And the part of her that had done nothing but crave Ward since before that fiery kiss didn't seem to mind.

"I do want you," Ward said lowly, still holding Skye's gaze.

The two stared at each other for a total of five seconds before they were moving. Ward was on her in a flash, and Skye's arms wrapped around his waist easily. There was that fiery heat again, erupting from their joined lips as Ward kissed Skye hard enough to make her see stars. Her hands slowly crept up the back of his undershirt as she felt the hardened muscles rippling beneath the smooth surface. She moaned lowly into the kiss, grateful on so many levels that Ward's self-control sucked.

When at last they tore apart the two stared back at each other through ragged breathing, the same as when they were training together. There were so many more things between them now that should stop them from moving any further. Ward was injured, Skye was vulnerable, the two could be caught at any moment. They had every reason to stop, to force themselves apart like they did in the gym. Only this time no one turned back.

What happened between the two in the SUV was not gentle, or sweet, or loving. It was raw passion that grew into so much more with each crashing wave of intensity that rolled over Skye. It fulfilled a need within Ward as well as Skye, but when it was over and they were both left catching their breath Skye could feel the wall that she and Ward had finally knocked down tonight slowly reassemble between them.

"So…" Skye said slowly once they were both dressed and (for the most part) presentable. "What do you-" She stopped in her tracks as Ward's door opened, her S.O. stepping out easily and looking around to make sure they weren't being watched.

And then the door closed with enough force to jar Skye's very core. She watched through the windows as he made his way up the stairs without a glance back, feeling her anger rise with each silent moment that ticked by.

"You're an _idiot," _she exclaimed out loud, bringing her palm to her head and smacking herself angrily. Of course nothing had changed between them. Ward had been wounded and looking for someone to ease his bruised ego. And she had stupidly given him exactly what he wanted. The anger Skye felt only continued to grow the longer she sat in the SUV, leaving her with no option but to get out and follow Ward's previous footsteps. She bade a friendly if relatively cold good night to Fitz and Simmons before taking refuge in her bunk and locking the door. Maybe here she would be safe from the man who was slowly but surely taking pieces of her every time he came near.

* * *

The next few days passed by in a blur for Skye. Of course, she had at first spent the night of the "Ward Incident" wondering how they were supposed to face each other the next morning. She was furious and humiliated all at the same time and all she could think about was _why _Ward had acted like he did.

But as it turned out, she didn't really have to worry too much. The next morning found May waiting by the punching bag and Skye breathing a sigh of relief. At least she didn't have to worry about holding a conversation. If anything May's presence had Skye working harder than usual to impress the older agent and by the time they were finished Skye was practically ready to drop.

"Good work today," May said curtly with a nod once the mats were put away, leaving Skye standing still with her mouth hanging wide open. Coulson would definitely have to put her on the next mission now. A 'good work' from May was basically a five page, single-spaced letter of recommendation.

May was there again in the afternoon and the next morning, and though Skye was grateful for the excuse to avoid Ward she was admittedly a little hurt that May and Ward had at least talked about _something_ while Skye was stuck sulking around the plane and avoiding her S.O. But no matter how uncomfortable she felt, Skye never allowed herself to let up. She spent the next couple days reading up on S.H.I.E.L.D. protocols while the team waited for more orders from HQ and, when she really needed it, seeking out company from Fitz-Simmons.

It was after a group game of Apples to Apples (one that included Coulson, much to everyone's delight) that Skye claimed she was exhausted and headed back early to her bunk, ignoring the protests from the group. Of course, as soon as Skye entered her bunk she remembered all the laundry she meant to put away hours before. It was hard to miss when the giant tower of shirts, pants, and underwear took up the majority of her bed.

Skye was halfway through putting away her giant heap of clothes when she heard the light tap on her door. "Come in," she called out as she grabbed a couple pairs of underwear to put away, figuring it was Simmons or Fitz trying get her to come back out and play. She heard the door open and only meant to spare half a glance for whoever it was that wanted to chat, but the sight of Grant Ward in her doorway stopped her in her tracks.

"What do you want?" Skye asked after a dramatic awkward silence between the two. She could hear how stiff her voice sounded and internally cringed as she dropped her gaze to her laundry again, refusing to let herself be trapped by those eyes again. She expected him to be the same brooding creature that would kiss her senseless and then leave her wishing desperately for more. She was ready to handle that version of him. What she didn't expect, Skye soon realized, was an apology.

"To say I'm sorry."

Skye snorted quietly to herself to mask her surprise, all but shoving the rest of her underwear into the lightweight shelving unit available in every room.

"I mean it, Skye. I'm sorry for what I did. I never meant to hurt you."

"Yeah? Well you have a funny way of showing it," Skye muttered, folding a T-shirt to give her something to do rather than to keep all of her clothes neatly put away. That wasn't really her style.

It was so faint that it might not have registered with Skye if she wasn't so on edge around Ward. The soft wooshing sound of the door sliding closed, the nearly imperceptible click of the lock. Skye's head shot up quick as lightning to stare at Ward, taking a step back as he took a step towards her, his hands raised in a gesture of surrender.

"Skye," he murmured, and for the first time in such a long time Skye saw the beginnings of a genuine smile cross his face. "I care about you. Back there in the car…I don't know what came over me. It wasn't fair to you, I know that. I should have stayed to talk to you, but I was so mad about what I did to you that I couldn't face you. I'd been holding myself back from you for so long and something in me just…snapped. I promise it'll never happen again." By now he was much closer to Skye but she had stopped backing away, merely staring up at him as she tried to figure him out.

"You're damn right it'll never happen again," she snapped. Well, tried to snap. In truth Skye's resolve was wavering and that familiar yearning was slowly returning. And he was so, so close…

"Skye," Ward breathed quietly, finally close enough to touch. He reached a hand out and gently tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear, letting his thumb trace down her cheek as if he were touching her for the first time. Without realizing it Skye held her breath, watching Ward's reactions carefully. It was as if Skye was a wild animal and Ward was trying to keep her from running, his motions were so slow and controlled. But one step closer brought him the perfect distance to rest his hands on Skye's hips, watching her eyes carefully as he lowered his head to kiss her deeply.

Again, Skye felt like she was about to melt into Ward's touch. But as powerful as the animalistic passion the two previously shared had been, this had to be a thousand times better. Every caress, every movement of Ward's was gentle and sweet, and before she knew it Skye found herself completely at his mercy again.

It was with an aching slowness that Ward lowered Skye to the bed, brushing the rest of her clothes out of the way to make room. Skye had half a mind to reprimand him for that, but her mouth was soon busy as Ward followed her onto the bed.

As Skye suspected, this was a completely different experience for the two of them. While her previous romantic adventures with Ward had been fast-paced and hot enough to make your blood boil, this was like a gust of cool, fresh air. Ward was sweet and tender with Skye, taking the time to murmur over and over again how beautiful she was. He was the perfect gentleman, wrapping her tightly in his arms when it was over and kissing her softly. Skye found herself snuggling closer to the man she'd been furious with just a short time ago, all previous grievances forgotten.

"Grant?" Skye asked sleepily, shifting her head on Ward's chest so she could look up to see him smiling down at her.

"Yes?" He asked, one arm resting protectively around her waist, his fingers occasionally drumming against her soft skin.

"Would it be weird to ask my S.O. to stay tonight?" She forced sleep to wait with a few rapid blinks, bringing her hand up to rest on Ward's chest just as he chuckled.

"Maybe a little. But I'm not your S.O. tonight," he told her, pulling her closer to him.

"Hm? Then what are you?" Skye asked, yawning and letting her head fall into a more natural position.

"I'm Grant," he stated, the hand on her waist running up and down her side slowly. "I'm just Grant tonight. Sleep, Skye. I'll be here when you wake up."

And so Skye allowed sleep to take her.

* * *

**I hope it was okay! I've read through it and edited it a few times but I'm uploading in a bit of a rush right now so please forgive me for any big mistakes!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Truth Hurts

**Wow, okay, so it's been a little while since I updated and that was a total and complete accident. Things got so busy that I fell behind and eventually stopped working on this chapter altogether. But everything has started to quiet down now, so I'm officially back and working on this story! My plan is to finish by the end of the summer if at all possible so I don't end up leaving the story hanging again.**

**This chapter took awhile to get through, mainly because I wanted it to be the last one before the story catches up to present day. Because of that it covers a lot of milestones in Skyeward's relationship, but the chapter takes place over several weeks. I've gone over it again and again to the point where I think this is the best version I can give you, but my eyes might start bleeding if I try to polish it anymore so I'm sorry if I left any errors (really, I tried to get them all).**

**Thanks so much to those of you who stuck with the story, and I hope you guys can forgive me enough to let me know what you think! Here's an extra-long chapter to (attempt to) make up for the hiatus. You're all fabulous and I love you.**

* * *

"So, ground rules, huh?"

Skye nodded as she took a large bite of her sandwich, leaning back against the cabinets and swinging her legs against the kitchen counter on which she sat.

"And just what did you have in mind?" Ward asked, cautiously lifting his own lunch with his newly freed arm. It had been exactly one hour since Simmons had given him the all clear to take off the sling, but to the agent who never believed he needed it her clean bill of health should have been given weeks ago.

"You know, the simple stuff. Like no kissing during training sessions, no walking out on me right after sex. What normal couples do," Skye shrugged and shot Ward a cheeky smile, to which he replied with an exasperated sigh.

"I've apologized for that over and over again—with words and without. And if I remember correctly, one of those times you said you would forgive anything as long as I-"

"Okay, okay," Skye interrupted hastily, pinching off a part of the bread crust and chucking it at him. He caught it, of course. Ward smiled and made his way over to her, laying his sandwich on the counter beside her so he could use both his hands to pull Skye closer to him.

"Mm, I'll have to make you pay for that later. Maybe during the next training session." Skye pulled back just as Ward leaned in for a kiss, taking another bite out of her sandwich and shaking her head with a smirk.

"Nope, that's another one. Grant and my S.O. have to stay separate. You can't get mad at me for something I did outside of training and use your evil ninja agent skills to punish me for it," Skye warned. Ward laughed and thought about it for a moment before turning to lean against the counter beside her.

"Fine, but the same goes for you. Just because I push you in training doesn't mean you can take it out on me later. Wait, actually, I'd like to see you try." Ward sized her up, tilting his head as he pretended to be unimpressed.

"Oh, shut up," Skye laughed, rolling her eyes and nudging him with her shoulder. It was moments like these that wiped away the rocky start with which Skye and Ward began their relationship. Things were so easy when it was just the two of them, alone, with no threat of discovery or fear of taking the initial plunge. That first night Ward stayed with Skye had turned into one of many, and though she had sworn never to give into him after the crap he'd pulled it was as if finally giving into each other had freed them both. Ward was sweet and playful when it was just the two of them, but even with all the space a luxury vehicle like the Bus provided it was difficult to sneak away for too long to avoid detection. Too often they found themselves breaking away to pretend they hadn't just been all over each other right as Fitz or Simmons walked by. Skye knew it was dangerous for them both, but she was enjoying herself too much to focus on the possible consequences. Besides, if Agent Ward with all his superior self-control gave in, Skye could hardly condemn herself for doing the same.

"You think I'm kidding? You just said yesterday that you blame me for always "feeling sick" before morning training sessions," Ward accused, throwing in air quotes for dramatic effect. Skye groaned and dropped her own sandwich to the counter, the reminder of her random bouts of exercise-induced nausea turning the idea of food unappealing.

"It's totally your fault. Even the idea of getting beaten up early in the morning makes me sick. It's like some kind of conditioning," Skye argued, raising her eyebrows and nodding knowingly. Ward's lighthearted frustration amused her, especially since they'd finally gotten in a good morning session that day, leaving the argument fairly pointless.

"Oh, come on. You probably just had some kind of stomach bug. Training to be an agent doesn't make you sick. And besides, you did good today. So your theory is wrong," Ward shrugged, returning to his lunch.

"I wouldn't say wrong so much as possibly improbable," Skye countered, earning her a disbelieving stare from Ward. "But enough about that, back to the ground rules. What do you think?" Ward chewed thoughtfully, considering the rules Skye had suggested.

"I think they're fine. But after this long, what made you think of them all of a sudden?" He asked, eyeing her suspiciously. Skye picked at her sandwich, unsure what to tell him.

"I know that we can't be…normal, or anything like that. And that we're risking a lot to do what we're doing. But I don't know, why not try to make it work? I don't want us to get caught, but I don't want to just quit either." Skye shrugged, looking up to meet Ward's eyes, the ones that seemed to understand exactly how she felt.

"I don't want that either," he said quietly, shifting to face her. This time when Ward leaned in to kiss her Skye moved in as well. Though it was short and sweet Skye could feel the warmth from the kiss radiating all the way down to her toes, and she smiled up at him when he pulled away.

"We should probably join the others or someone will come looking," Ward said reluctantly, though his hand came up to rest against Skye's waist. She made a face but nodded, pushing off of the counter and grabbing what was left of her lunch to throw away.

"Not going to finish that?" Ward asked, surprised. Skye shook her head and wrinkled her nose.

"Nah, not hungry anymore. And it'll probably be better to spar on an empty stomach," Skye reasoned, making Ward chuckle. He let his hand brush against hers once before they were out the door and headed in different directions, resuming their usual role of mentor and trainee.

* * *

It was a few days later that Skye awoke roughly to the sound of a loud knock on her door and bolted upright with a start, her heart beating rapidly.

"Skye! You're late. You needed to be downstairs half an hour ago," came Ward's voice through her door. Skye groaned and dropped back onto her pillow, pressing her hands against her head as the usual nausea came back to her along with the morning light. There was another loud knock at the door from Ward, making it obvious that he wasn't about to leave until she was up. Skye wearily pulled herself out of bed and padded across her tiny room, tugging the door open forcefully so she could glare up at Ward. Her S.O. looked down at her with a mixture of amusement and irritation, his eyes skimming down her body and taking in the sight of her in rumpled pajamas.

"For someone trying to work her way up the ranks in S.H.I.E.L.D., you're starting to take your training sessions very lightly," Ward mused, gesturing to the bed Skye had just vacated. Skye groaned again and ran a hand through her messy hair, letting her head rest against the side of the door.

"I know, I overslept. But Ward, I really don't feel good this morning. For real this time, like worse than the others. Can you please just let me off easy this one time?" Skye pleaded, looking into his eyes and willing him to give her the morning off. Ward just stared at her for a moment before glancing around, checking to see if anyone was nearby before he reached for Skye and pulled her close. Skye sighed at his touch and leaned against him, hoping that this was him letting her off the hook.

"Training is tough on the body, I know. And I know you like blaming me for it, but if you start slacking off you'll be right back to where you started. You're doing so well—I don't want you to lose that," Ward said quietly, kissing the top of her head. Any other time Skye would have been thrilled to have received such a compliment from Ward, but as it were she found herself closing her eyes as another wave of nausea rolled through her.

"So, not even just this once? You could take the morning off too. Even stay here if you wanted," Skye offered as she untangled herself from Ward, raising her eyebrows in invitation. He chuckled and crossed his arms, shaking his head.

"You're getting good at manipulation. But no, not a chance. Meet me down there in five. Ready to train," Ward said warningly, stepping back from the door. Skye made a face and got up to close the door just as Ward turned away. So that was it, he was back to being her S.O. Even though it was her idea to keep affectionate Ward and S.O. Ward separate, he flip-flopped with her so often that Skye felt like she had whiplash every time she was with him. With a heavy sigh Skye pushed the sick feeling away and dug out her training clothes. This was going to be one ugly morning.

* * *

When Skye was finally dressed and her nausea suppressed enough to make it to training, she made her way down to the gym where Ward stood waiting, facing her with raised eyebrows.

"Skye, you're late!" came the friendly call of Fitz from inside the lab, waving at her before returning to the gadget he was pouring over with Simmons. Simmons looked up for a moment and smiled, shooting Skye a sympathetic look of understanding. Skye just waved halfheartedly to the two scientists, swallowing her discomfort as she sized up the punching bag Ward had strung up.

"You know if it's any consolation I think Coulson is close to cracking. May said she'd put in a good word for you," Ward hinted, handing Skye the lightweight gloves she used to protect her knuckles when using the punching bag. Skye took them and fixed her S.O. with a glare.

"He's not the only one that's close to cracking. You've got me working out twice a day, every day. People are allowed to get sick, you know," Skye informed him, irritably strapping the gloves on. When she didn't hear a response right away Skye looked up to see Ward staring at her, his expression containing some actual anger.

"I've done my training, Skye. I made it through the academy. I'm a field agent. I don't need to wake up early or take the time out of every day to teach some stubborn trainee. You might look at me as the bad guy, but I'm just trying to help here," Ward explained. Though she would never admit it, those cold words stung Skye. Last night she was his—what even was she, exactly? Girlfriend? They had never put it into words. Skye could call for all the rules she wanted, but it didn't change the fact that she and Grant Ward could never publicly become a couple. And Ward had just made it obvious that when in public, she was nothing more than a pain in the ass he had to train. Her blood already beginning to boil, Skye fought to restrain her anger.

"I get that, I do. But if I really don't feel well, I'd appreciate a little understanding," She watched Ward carefully, knowing that he was nearing his breaking point. Her S.O. already looked anything but amused.

"The sooner you train, the sooner you'll be finished. Work on your form for the next 15 minutes," Ward said coldly, taking a step back to give him a better view of Skye's figure. She resisted moving for a moment as she stared at Ward, but at his obvious nudge in the direction of the bag Skye stepped forward into her usual stance. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing the swirling sickness in her stomach to suppress itself for the next hour. Once she felt more stable Skye opened her eyes and lunged, striking the bag hard with her right fist. She tried to keep her form tight as she worked against the heavy object, sweat collecting on her brow quickly as she counted down the seconds until the full fifteen minutes.

Skye tried to ignore Ward as he circled around her, occasionally commenting when her stance would slip. With each command came a new irritation and Skye took strength from the plans she began to make, specifically the ones that involved telling Agent Ward he was not invited to stay with her that night. Screw the damn rules.

With Skye's growing discomfort came an increased sense of desperation, and she was feeling worse than ever once those fifteen minutes were up. Still, she probably could have made it without incident if it weren't for the punishment Ward chose to inflict on her in return for her attitude.

"That's enough," Ward called when the fifteen minutes were up. Skye stepped away from the bag, shakily wiping the sweat from her forehead as she watched him carefully.

"What now?" She asked her S.O. breathlessly, her eyebrows raising as she saw him bend to retrieve his own gloves. "Mornings are weapon training, not sparring. What's with the gear?" Skye asked him, nudging her head in his direction. Ward stepped closer to her, looking down at Skye with what could only be described as a challenge in his eyes.

"I'm switching it up a little. You're going to fight me. Use whatever moves necessary to incapacitate me, but remember that each move you make has a countermove." Ward placed a hand on his hip as he looked down at Skye, taking in her slack-jawed expression. Sure, she'd fought Ward before. With a certain move, always with an intended end result. But now when Skye was feeling her worst, holding back enough anger to make her sick, and struggling to stay on top of her game he was going to punish her for arguing.

"Yes sir," Skye muttered sarcastically under her breath, regaining her composure as the anger she'd been harboring grew exponentially larger. If it was a fight he wanted, it was a fight he would get. Skye settled into her stance just as Ward did, watching him carefully before taking an experimental lunge, aiming to jab him at the base of his throat. Her S.O. stepped aside easily, using only his foot to trip her and make her stumble. Skye whirled to glare at him.

"Again," Ward ordered, beckoning her on. This time Skye went after him with the intention of kicking him squarely in the hip, hoping to offset his center of balance. But all Ward had to do was grab her leg in his hand and send it the other way, resulting in Skye tripping for real this time and falling to the ground. Skye's eyes closed for a moment as another overwhelming wave of nausea hit her, gritting her teeth as she forced back the rising tide yet again.

"Again."

All of her anger, all of the unnamed emotions that had been taking over Skye's entire being seemed to culminate into one giant cloud of strength as she pushed herself to her feet. She moved so quickly and with such precision that she didn't notice the eager faces of Fitz-Simmons as they watched the crackling tension between S.O. and trainee. Skye's raw emotions were propelling her forward, sending her on a mission to cause Ward the type of pain he was bringing her.

And yet, if plain old anger and emotion were enough to take out a specialist such as Ward he would already be dead. The fact was he knew how to anticipate Skye's moves, and when he saw her charging him he flung out his arm to protect his body and shove back against her own. Maybe it was because of the force Skye put behind the attack, or maybe it was just the final straw on her body. Whatever the reason there was one moment's pause where dread trickled through Skye, and the next she was bent over, throwing up whatever was left in her system. She could hear the disgusted mutters of Fitz and Simmons now, something within her shriveling up at the knowledge that half of her team had just seen the humiliating spectacle. But her body was still heaving, tears starting to cloud Skye's eyes as she felt a presence beside her.

His hand was soft now, rubbing her back lightly as Skye fought to regain control of herself. He didn't try to speak and for that Skye was grateful—another word out of him and she would have punched him in the face, all calculated training be damned.

"Skye, are you alright?" she heard Simmons ask cautiously, and with a hasty wipe of her mouth Skye nodded, refusing to look at her.

"I'm fine," she said curtly, moving to stand without looking at Ward. "I'll just…clean that up." Skye moved to head into the lab where she knew some paper towels were, but all three agents stopped her.

"No you don't. We've got some potentially volatile materials in there. You can't go in when you're sick," Fitz explained, at the exact same time Simmons shook her head, spewing more explanations about how she needed rest and fluids.

"Guys," Ward called, effectively quieting the two scientists. They stared at him expectantly. "Skye, you're done for the day. Go back and rest," he commanded. Skye bit back a choked laugh at that, though she'd be lying if she said she couldn't see the concern in his eyes. "I'll clean this up," he said casually, as if cleaning up trainee vomit were a daily occurrence. Which, by the way, it wasn't. Skye hesitated for a moment, staring at Ward as if waiting for something else. When he didn't sense her moving he turned to face her, letting his look speak for her.

"Okay, just…That's gross," Skye attempted to protest. Before Ward could even argue Simmons was beside Skye, all but shoving her towards the stairs.

"Don't worry Ward, I'll make sure she gets to bed," Simmons called, shaking her head in bemusement. To Skye she added, "You have got to be the most stubborn girl I've ever met." Once Ward was sure Skye would make it upstairs without getting sick again he headed into the lab with Fitz, reaching for the paper towels and cleaning supplies to clear all trace of the mess.

"Poor Skye. I know she hasn't been feeling well lately," Fitz sympathized as he returned to working on the latest new toy. Ward gave a noncommittal "hmph" in response, stepping out of the lab to start clearing the metal floor.

"I wish there was something we could do. She's just been so grumpy all the time, I'm afraid to poke the bear," Fitz chuckled to himself.

"There is something you can do. Just let her be," Ward grunted, tossing aside paper towels and spraying the floor with disinfectant.

"Is that what you do?"

Ward paused what he was doing for a moment, his mind immediately jumping to the conclusion that Fitz had seen them one of the numerous nights Ward had backed Skye into her room, already stripping her of her clothes.

"Yes. Because it's what I would want," he said, wiping down the floor once more before getting rid of the towels.

"No offence Ward, but you two aren't exactly cut from the same cloth," Fitz pointed out. Ward was already staring towards the stairs, waiting until Simmons reappeared so he could go be with Skye.

"No," he mused quietly. "No we aren't."

* * *

"Would you just lay down? Please?" Ward asked for what felt like the hundredth time. Skye waved him off again, running a hand over her hair as she thought of more ways to yell at her S.O.

"No. I'm angry. And I'm going to stay angry and standing for as long as I feel like," Skye said hotly, crossing her arms as she sassed him. Ward rubbed his chin for a moment, running through his options. He'd tried playing the concerned supervisor card, but that had been the catalyst that brought Skye out of bed the first time. Then he'd tried ordering her back into bed, but that had backfired majorly and sent Skye off on a tirade. So he had tried to quietly plead his case, but as of right now his patience had run out.

"Look. I know you're mad. You didn't want to train today, I get it. But when you disrespect me like you did it's my _job _to teach you a lesson. And I'm not apologizing for that," Ward said honestly, leaning back against the door lightly. He didn't quite trust Skye not to make an angry run for it. But going by the look on Skye's face, running from him was not her game plan.

"That's the problem," She accused, pointing at him from across her little room as her eyes narrowed. "You weren't punishing me because your trainee back-sassed you. I've done that plenty of times before and you haven't kicked me while I was down. I'm not finished," Skye said warningly when Ward opened his mouth to speak. "You were punishing me as your…as your _lover_, not your rookie. You broke the rule," she practically spat. Ward tried to hold in his laughter but failed miserably.

"Lover? Really?" He asked, pushing himself off the door and stepping closer to her. He could smell the fresh laundry scent that came with clean clothes mixed with the mint of her toothpaste, and found the whole picture of Skye in old baggy pajamas kind of cute. Skye glared back at him fiercely, her eyes warning him away.

"It was the only word I could think of, because I have no clue what we really are. And don't change the subject," she said, though her voice was losing its fierce quality as Grant came closer.

"Fine. I'll admit that you pissed me off," Ward told her, cocking his head to the side in an almost playful gesture. "And there were other ways I could have punished you for that. Other places too," Ward smirked, gesturing to the bed with a grand motion. He could see the twitch of a smile on Skye's face and knew he had her.

"You wish. I already decided that you've been rude and don't deserve any special treatment," Skye retorted, raising an eyebrow at Ward even as he moved closer to her. Just like that her wave of anger had passed, and though she was still blaming Ward for her embarrassing spectacle, she was no longer furious.

"Now who's breaking the rule?" Her S.O. asked in amusement, more than a little confident that once she was feeling better he would change her mind about keeping him away pretty quickly.

"You broke it first. And you haven't said anything about what we are," Skye pointed out, tilting her head back to stare up at him seriously. Ward hummed thoughtfully, reaching forward to run his thumb along her cheek. Skye could feel herself giving in, leaning against his touch in a way that made her feel weak.

"I don't know what we are," Ward finally spoke, bringing his other hand to grip Skye's wrist as she began to pull away, shooting her a warning glance. "But I do know that I care about you. And I can promise that as long as we are what we are, there won't be anyone else. Even if you're being stubborn and sneaky and just plain childish sometimes, I'll always care," Ward said with a shrug. Skye paused, uncertain if she wanted to let the whole sneaky and childish thing slide. But given the way she'd been acting lately she figured Ward might have a point. Maybe.

"Fine," Skye allowed, taking her wrist back and turning back to her bed. "I guess that's as close as we can get right now." Ward nodded,

"If things were different…There could be more. But right now we just need to take it a day at a time. And you need to get into bed and rest," Ward told her. Skye sighed and hesitated, not quite sure if she was ready to let the morning's argument go.

"Fine," Skye grumbled again, making a face at him before climbing into her bed. Ward smiled as she got under the covers, waiting until she was completely settled to back off and give her space.

"Feel better. Because tomorrow I expect you back on the mat bright and early," he warned, unable to restrain his smile when Skye narrowed her eyes at him.

"Get out of here," she groaned, finding a shoe nearby and tossing it in his general direction even as he backed away. Ward laughed as he ducked out of the room and closed her door, only to find the disapproving face of Melinda May waiting for him.

"We need to talk."

* * *

"I warned you Ward, and you didn't listen," May whirled to face him the second he stepped into the cockpit. It was starting to take on the feel of a grammar school principal's office for Ward, something he didn't really appreciate.

"Melinda-" Ward tried cautiously, but didn't get very far.

"Right now it's Agent May," she barked, staring him down with those cold, calculating eyes. Ward stared right back at her.

"Alright, Agent May. I don't know what you thought you saw, but-"

"Enough with the lying, Ward," she cut him off. "You need to end things with Skye. You might think you're safe with Coulson here to stick up for you, but what about Skye? She'll take the hit for this, and you know it. You can't break protocol and expect to get away with it." Ward crossed his arms as he continued to meet May's hard gaze, refusing to show any sign that could be taken as him giving in. Admitting defeat would be weak. And yet…May was right. Ward might be punished with a slap on the wrist, but advancing in S.H.I.E.L.D. would be next to impossible for Skye if her file showed she'd been involved with her supervising officer. It would look like she was currying favor for promotion to the higher ups who made their way through the ranks the traditional way. And if it appeared that Skye was no longer fit to be an agent at all…Ward didn't want to think about it.

"Are you going to report it?" He asked stiffly after a moment. It wouldn't do any good to fight May on this. She knew she had him cornered either way. The seconds ticked by before the other agent spoke again.

"End. It," She commanded, her voice quiet yet terrifying all the same. "If you don't break it off, I'll bring it to Coulson." Ward hesitated, assessing how serious her threat might be.

"Would you really do that to Skye? Ruin any chance she has of making a better life for herself?" Ward asked, hoping to appeal to May's better nature. The agent shook her head as she turned her back on him then, returning to the many controls, knobs, and levers it took to fly the plane.

"The question is, Grant, would you?"

* * *

Skye was just getting out of bed for the second time that day when she heard a familiar timid knock at the door. She suppressed a sigh as she plopped back onto her bed, calling out a quick "come in." No doubt it was Simmons coming to grill her on what happened that morning.

"Skye? Can I talk to you for a second?" Simmons asked right on cue as she opened the door, peering in cautiously.

"Yeah, it's fine, Simmons. What's up?" Skye shifted so she was sitting cross-legged, allowing room for the scientist to take a seat if she wanted. Accepting the invitation Simmons relaxed and entered the room, perching herself at the end of Skye's bed as she took in the other girl's appearance.

"I wanted to see how you were feeling after this morning. That couldn't have been pleasant," Simmons said delicately, fixing her with a sympathetic smile. Skye chuckled and shook her head, running a hand over her face.

"No, it wasn't. But at least now I have you and Fitz to back me up. It's the training that makes me sick," Skye joked. Sort of. She expected Simmons to at least crack a smile at that, but Skye could see that Simmons was too concerned to play along.

"Are you sure that's all it is? You're obviously not feeling well. And Ward said you're tiring faster and not eating as much. Are you sure it's not-"

"Ward said what?" Skye asked in disbelief, her eyebrows raising with each word Simmons spoke. She found it hard to believe Ward would confide in Simmons about Skye's training mishaps.

"That you're tired and not hungry. I'm just worried that-"

"Simmons, I'm going to stop you right there. I'm fine," Skye smiled. "I've been tired because of the two freaking practices a day. I use all my energy in the morning, and then I get beat up in the afternoons. It's a full schedule. And as for eating…" Skye wracked her brains, trying to come up with a good excuse for the times when food just wasn't appealing to her. "I usually feel worse during a training session if I've eaten," she lied smoothly. Somewhere warning bells were going off in the back of Skye's mind. Why did she just need to make something up? What was she even covering up in the first place? Simmons eyed Skye doubtfully, though there was no suspicion written on her face. Just genuine concern for a friend.

"Maybe that's what it seems like, but Skye, come on. You just got sick, you're always tired, and you randomly get in these weird moods. I know I'm not the only one who's worried. Fitz is, and even if he didn't say it Ward was worried this morning. I just want to make sure you're okay. Do you think you can come down later so I can rule out the possibility of a virus or stomach bug?"

But Skye had stopped listening the moment she made the connection in her head. She stared at Simmons as the other woman spoke, but hardly a word made it through to her. _You just got sick, you're always tired, and you randomly get in these weird moods. _Skye struggled to count the calendar days in her head, backtracking once, twice, three times as she fought to disprove what Simmons had unintentionally made obvious. Morning sickness, exhaustion, mood swings. Lack of appetite. Even the smell of food was sometimes enough to-

"Skye? Are you alright?" Simmons asked, leaning closer as she watched Skye's face transform in alarm. It was all Skye could do to shake her head and offer Simmons an apologetic smile. _First step: Get her out. Then you can freak out_, Skye told herself. She took a shaky breath and pressed a hand to her forehead briefly, shaking her head again.

"Sorry Simmons, I think I'm going to be sick again. Can we talk about this later?" Skye tried.

"Will you come down to the lab once you're able so I can examine you?" Simmons asked, her face now a combination of concern and determination. Skye nodded quickly, operating on autopilot at this point.

"Yeah, sure thing. I think I just need to lay down again. I'll come see you later, yeah?" Skye asked, already moving to get under her covers. Simmons nodded quickly and hopped off the bed, moving closer to Skye so she could rest a hand on her shoulder.

"Feel better, Skye. Let me know if you need anything." Skye nodded and murmured her thanks, waiting until Simmons had left her room before jumping up and grabbing her phone, flipping through the calendar app.

"Dammit," Skye muttered, not missing the hint of hysteria present in her voice. She was late. She was late and getting sick every other morning. It didn't take a genius to figure out what that meant. Skye dropped back onto her bed, bringing her knees close to her and holding them tightly as she tried to calm herself down.

So, she thought she was pregnant. So what? She still needed to take a test to make sure. And Simmons seemed so sure it was a virus or something strange like that, so Skye couldn't rule it out just yet. And she and Ward had been careful…ish. She couldn't be sure.

"No freaking out, you got that?" She murmured quietly to herself, resting her head on the tops of her knees and focusing on breathing deeply and evenly. She couldn't afford to freak out until she had a plan worked out. No one could know, not Simmons, and especially not Ward. If Coulson found out…

_Don't think about it. Just don't. You have to stay in control, _Skye thought to herself, mentally setting up walls around every possible consequence that could come as a result of a baby.

A baby…with Ward. Skye bit down on the inside of her cheek, focusing on the pain to keep her eyes from watering. Would Ward want a baby? Would he even want her?

_Don't, _Skye repeated, using sheer determination to keep from shutting down. She needed to find proof first. Then and only then could she think about what to do.

"You can do this," Skye told herself, wiping her eyes hastily to make sure there were no traces of tears. _Be. Strong. _

* * *

The next morning found Skye and Ward training as usual. For the first time in what felt like ages she woke to find her stomach quiet with no hint of nausea to disrupt her morning. Maybe Simmons was right and she actually did have a weird bug or something. That should be enough to get the agent to stop asking Skye to come down for tests. The thought cheered Skye up enough to throw some real energy into her workout, beating at least two of her records. After her last set she glanced over at Ward, grinning through the sweat.

"So, do I get to hear a 'comment' on my awesome agent skills or what?" Skye asked, ready and waiting to drag the praise out of him like always. But this time there was no trace of a smile on Ward's features when he nodded his approval, immediately cluing Skye in that something was off. "Okay, what did I do wrong?" She asked, pulling off her gloves and grabbing her water bottle.

"Nothing, you did well today," Ward admitted, but Skye could tell he was distracted by the way he peered into the lab, trying to detect if Simmons and Fitz were working on anything inside. Apparently seeing—or not seeing—what he was looking for Ward relaxed and stepped closer to Skye, crossing his arms as he did so. Skye slowly lowered her water bottle as she watched Ward, a sinking feeling taking over as she waited for him to come out with whatever it was that was bothering him.

"I just wanted to talk to you about something," her S.O. began. Skye made a motion for him to continue, realizing with each second that this wasn't going anywhere good. "About us," Ward corrected. Understanding flashed through Skye and she was sure it must have shown on her face, judging by the pained expression she could see on Ward's.

"Skye this…isn't working," he said simply, his eyes flickering between hers and anywhere else. It was all Skye could do to hold back the sudden bubble of laughter that threatened to spill out at that, because of course this was happening now. For some crazy, inexplicable reason the world had chosen her to use as its chew toy. Every time Skye thought she was in the clear something _else _had to go wrong with her life. Apparently Ward didn't notice his trainee slowly losing it in front of him because he plowed on anyway.

"I can't—_we _can't be two separate people for each other. It doesn't work. The lines blur when I'm with you. What happened a few days ago, it'll happen again. This team lives so close together it's impossible not to want to kill each other all the time," he reasoned. Skye could see the concern on his face as he studied her, possibly waiting for an outburst or insult. But at the moment Skye had none to give.

"Sure, Ward. Whatever you say. I mean your excuses are complete crap, but if you want to end things, that's fine," Skye waved him off, and though her words were cavalier she did nothing to disguise the anger that permeated every word. She knew it wasn't fair to hold what he didn't know against him, but that knowledge did nothing to quench the hopelessness she could feel creeping up on her.

"Then how about the fact that every time we're alone together it's putting your future with S.H.I.E.L.D. at risk? Is that crap?" Ward demanded to know, his hands taking their usual spot on his hips. "Continuing the way we are won't end well. Either someone finds out and you're kicked out of S.H.I.E.L.D. or we just break it off down the road. Any way you look at it, we're doomed to fail." Skye stayed quiet as she mulled this over, looking for a way to argue with Ward, to prove he was just a coward. But the more she thought about her future as an agent the more she realized those plans didn't include Ward standing beside her. He couldn't be, not if she wanted to advance. They were only ever meant to be a short-time thing.

"So that's it?" Skye asked, finally breaking the silence. Ward looked up at the sound of her voice, his face devoid of the emotion she thought she'd seen earlier. He was already slipping into Ward the supervising officer. "You just go back to being my S.O. and we what, pretend nothing happened?" Skye asked, incredulous. Maybe it was the safest plan on paper, but forcibly removing themselves from each other hadn't worked with Skye and Ward in the past.

"That's all we can do," Ward shrugged, apparently putting all his faith in their willpower yet again. Skye hesitated for a brief second before she nodded her agreement.

"Alright. Then that's it." She turned to roll up the mats on the floor, grateful for the excuse not to maintain the calm façade she'd struggled to keep up. But after a few seconds Ward made it clear he wasn't leaving, his eyes boring into Skye's back as he watched her every move.

"Skye," Ward said quietly, stepping closer. "I meant it when I said I'll always care. And I'll always be here if you-" Skye shook her head and stepped away from Ward, sparing him only a warning glance before turning back to the mats.

"Ward, don't," she said, the weariness that had already settled in coming through loud and clear. "You did what you had to do. It's over. Just let it go."

There was a short pause before Ward backed away, obviously picking up on the fact that his presence was no longer appreciated. Skye didn't stop what she was doing until long after the sound of his footsteps faded, waiting a solid minute before taking a seat on the last remaining mat and rubbing her temples as she thought.

She knew she could have handled the conversation differently, maybe talked Ward through whatever fears were strong enough to make him decide to break things off out of the blue. She could have tried harder to make it work, or could have blown up like an angry girlfriend after she'd been dumped. But the truth was the entire conversation all Skye could focus on was the possibility that she might be dealing with a baby on her own.

Of course a kid would change things. She could still tell Ward, explain the situation and sort things out like the adults they were. But now that he'd chosen to end whatever type of relationship they'd had, Skye realized she was alone. Whatever happened, whatever might or might not be true, any decisions would ultimately be up to Skye.

She hastily wiped her eyes and took a few steadying breaths before climbing to her feet and dragging the mat back where it belonged. She needed a plan of attack. So far Skye had been living solely in the hypothetical, but the "what ifs" weren't good enough anymore.

It was time to take action.

* * *

"AC?"

Coulson looked up from where he sat on the corner of his desk, pouring over a document.

"Skye," he greeted warmly, beckoning her in. He didn't miss the shaky smile on her face as she moved closer, passing up the chair she usually plopped into when she came by to talk. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked, setting the tablet aside and focusing his full attention on the younger agent.

"I just wanted to see if when we land, I could have some time off the plane. Just to pick up a few things," she shrugged. Coulson's face stayed impassive as he eyed her carefully. She was nervous about something, that was obvious. While he knew he could trust Skye to protect the team at all costs red flags went up at seeing her so distressed.

"Of course, I'll make sure we have time for that. Is everything okay with you?" He asked, gauging her reaction.

"Yeah, of course. I just wanted some more clothes. You get tired of wearing the same stuff every day, you know?" She asked, though when Coulson gestured to his standard suit she laughed. Even the usually cheerful sound came out sounding strained.

"I can't say we all have your sense of style, but by all means, take an afternoon off. You deserve it. May and Ward tell me you've been working really hard to advance. I'm proud of you," Coulson confided, smiling almost sadly at Skye. The compliment brought a true smile out of her, easing Coulson's worry.

"Pretty soon you'll have another level seven that you'll have to include in all of your super-secret missions," Skye promised, making her way towards the door. Coulson chortled to himself and nodded, though his mind was moving onto other thoughts.

"Skye," he called before she reached the door, sending her hair flying as she whipped her head around again. Coulson cleared his throat, unsure of how to go about these sorts of talks. "Whatever it is that's bothering you…Does it have anything to do with Agent Ward?" Surprise lit up Skye's eyes for a moment before she shook her head.

"No, it's not Ward. It's complicated," she shrugged, turning to leave again. Coulson cleared his throat once more, internally cringing as he spoke his next words.

"You read the S.H.I.E.L.D. protocol manuals, right?" He asked. Again Skye stopped, though she didn't turn to face him this time. She knew she was awful at hiding how she felt and didn't want to give Coulson an excuse to accuse her of anything.

"Yes, I did," Skye said guardedly, her hand resting right above the entry pad.

"Then I trust you know what breaking them could mean. Just…Be smart, Skye. That's all I have to say." Skye would have smiled if the threat of getting caught due to circumstances beyond her control wasn't already haunting her every thought.

"Thanks, AC. I know," Skye replied, shooting him one last smile before slipping out the door. Once out of the room she let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding and took a moment to collect herself. If she was going to get through the next few hours, she needed to be strong.

* * *

"Hey, Skye," Ward said in surprise the next day, turning from where he was bent over one of Fitz's new weapons in the lab. Fitz and Simmons looked up as well, surprise written all over their faces as they took in Skye's appearance.

"You're going on a field trip without us?" Fitz sounded shocked, laying down the gun as he followed Ward out the door.

"Skye!" Ward called when Skye didn't respond, smoothly sliding into her direct path and blocking her. Skye huffed and stepped around him, a move that he again blocked.

"Is Coulson sending you out for something?" Ward asked, completely baffled. Fitz-Simmons both appeared next to Ward, watching anxiously.

"No, and I didn't think I had to tell my S.O. everything I was doing at every moment of the day. I'm not on probation anymore, remember?" Skye all but snapped, not up to dealing with Ward when she had more pressing concerns on her mind.

"Then where are you going?" Simmons intervened. Skye could see the almost hopeful looks on their faces, the tentative promise of some civilian time too tempting for them to ignore. Skye felt a twinge of regret at the selfish part of her that didn't want them along, even though what she needed to buy did require some discretion.

"Into town while May and Coulson gas up. Want to come?" Skye asked after a few moments of hesitation. The grins that lit up the two scientists' faces was almost enough to make it worth the extra stealth it would take to get around them. Almost.

As the two moved to collect whatever they needed, Skye was left staring up at a stone-faced Ward.

"How are you feeling?" He asked after a moment, moving out of her way so he could fall into step beside her on the way to the car. Unsure if he was asking about her "stomach bug" or their latest disaster, Skye shrugged.

"Fine. I just wanted to get a few things while we're on the ground." Ward just looked at her as if he didn't believe her. "Girl things," Skye hinted, hoping that would get the guy to back off. It did, though it resulted in Grant veering off toward the driver's side of the car.

"I'll drive," he called, bringing a frown to Skye's features. She'd been excited to get behind the wheel for once but of course her S.O. wouldn't let her drive. Control freak.

Skye had just settled into the passenger seat of the SUV when Fitz-Simmons clambered in as well, discussing the various items they could use for the lab, like candy bars. Skye would have laughed at the look of annoyance on Ward's face as he backed the SUV out of the plane if it wasn't for her own aggravation at her sudden group of companions. This was supposed to be a quick in-and-out ordeal and then she would have her answer. Skye tapped her foot impatiently as she looked out the passenger side window, watching the barren surroundings slowly take on a more natural environment. She refused to think about _it _until it was absolutely necessary.

"Something wrong?" Ward asked, a little too casually. Skye shook her head without turning to look at him, pretending to be interested in the trees they passed along the way.

"Nope," Skye said, popping the "p" loudly as she continued to stare beyond the window.

"Does it have anything to do with the conversation we had earlier?" Ward asked, keeping his tone light and formal so the two chatterboxes in the back wouldn't be inclined to assume this was anything other than S.H.I.E.L.D. business.

"No, actually, it doesn't," Skye answered, keeping her tone just as light. Of course memories of that conversation floated back to her, just reinforcing the list of concerns Skye already had about her possible future. Ward had already ended what they'd barely started—just in time for Skye to be left holding onto the short end of the stick.

"Good, because Coulson and May are both impressed with your progress. You don't need to jeop-"

"No, actually, you don't need to make yourself feel better by saying you…quit for me," Skye interrupted, her fear and anger striking out at the perfect moment as always. "If you didn't want to be my S.O. anymore, you could have told me that earlier." Skye could feel Ward eyeing her but didn't move a muscle. Of course Ward hadn't really quit being her S.O., but as long as he was breaking things off, Skye felt it was her right to end this tie as well.

"Ward's not your S.O. anymore?" Came the confused voice of Fitz from behind Skye. Ward clenched his jaw but didn't say a word even as Skye turned to shoot Fitz a halfhearted smile.

"Nah, I guess it was just a little too much for Ward to handle," Skye joked, though both she and Ward knew that wasn't the case. "I'm asking May to take over. Agent Ward has other things he can be doing, anyway," Skye finished with a shrug, turning towards the window again. She had no idea where the idea had come from, but the more she thought it over the more she liked her new plan. There was a long silence in the car before Simmons cleared her throat awkwardly.

"My, is it hot in here? Fitz, open your window, would you?" she asked even as she lowered her own. The rush of air in the car created a bit of a noise barrier, making it easier for the two in the back to tune out the borderline hostile conversation going on up front.

"I never said that was what I wanted," Ward said flatly, staring straight ahead as the vehicle sped along towards the nearest town.

"No, but you did say you thought things were getting mixed up. It'd be easier to just make a clean break," Skye shrugged. "Get a new perspective, have May teach me a few things." Ward's jaw clenched tightly at the mention of May but he said nothing. Still, Skye watched the speedometer creep up ever so slightly as the car drew closer and closer to the town.

It was an awkward ten minutes later that found the team climbing out of the car, Fitz-Simmons heading straight for the grocery store across the street. Skye was ready to skulk off on her own when she felt Ward's hand wrap around her arm.

"Skye." The sound of his voice tugged at her heart, making Skye question for a split moment how she'd let him matter this much to her. She turned to face him, keeping her head high and her eyes focused as she waited for him to speak. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her upset. "I didn't want to end what we were doing. But I don't like feeling watched, or followed, or knowing that anytime I talk to you it comes with a consequence. And I know you don't either." Skye didn't say anything at first, chewing her tongue as she thought. Ward took this as a cue to keep going.

"If you want to improve—really improve, you have to stay focused. You have to train hard and study, and I would be a terrible S.O. if I stood in the way of that. And I did," Ward shrugged, pausing for a moment as he thought through his next words. "I'm proud of what you've done so far. You're stronger, and faster, and you're going to be an amazing agent someday. And if you think May will be the one to take you there, then I agree. Train with her."

Skye was honestly shocked for several moments, unable to conjure a rude or witty comeback. The truth was, that was one of the most honest things Grant Ward had ever said to her. Though Skye knew their "relationship" consisted entirely of sex and the occasional board game, she wasn't an idiot. You couldn't be as close to someone as the two of them were and not get _close_.

"Well…Thanks," Skye finally conceded, drawing a smile out of Ward. "You weren't an awful S.O. Even if you're all dark and brooding all the time," she teased, making Ward shake his head in amusement. "But you said it yourself—this can't interfere with the job, and it'll be easier if we just…stop. Everything," Skye shrugged, adjusting the bag she carried. Ward just looked at her for a moment before he nodded.

"I guess so," he said, the tone of his voice indicating that the conversation was over for now. He looked around at the people passing by the row of shops and then back to her. "Where did you want to go, again?" Ward asked, raising his eyebrows at her. Skye shot him her best "are you serious" look but he just shrugged.

"I told you, I just have some things to pick up. At a pharmacy," Skye eventually added when Ward made it clear he was waiting for an answer. "But I can really handle this on my own. I'm a big girl," she said testily, groaning in frustration when Ward started heading to the pharmacy clearly visible down the street.

"I have nowhere else to be," he said amiably, falling into step beside her as they made their way to the store. Skye was fighting to keep her cool with every step she took, unsure how she was supposed to pull this off. _Relax,_ Skye thought to herself, _you've pulled off plans much more difficult than this. How hard can it be to find a pregnancy test and get out of there? _ But of course thinking about it made it worse and worse and before Skye knew it they were stepping through the doors of the pharmacy.

"Get what you need to get. Let me know when you're done," Ward murmured before he was off, peeling away from Skye and heading towards the opposite side of the store. Skye nodded and breathed a sigh of relief, grateful she didn't have to be the one to ask him to go. Skye meandered down a random aisle at first while she waited for Ward to pull far enough away that he wouldn't turn back to talk to her then hastily headed toward the one she needed.

Despite the sense of urgency that had Skye's mind working in overdrive, she balked when she saw the shelf containing the various brands of pregnancy tests. How was she supposed to know which one to get? Making the executive decision to do whatever was necessary to get an accurate response, Skye grabbed the first three she saw. Moving to the next aisle she grabbed two bags of chips and three bags of candy along with whatever magazine she found in the rack at the end of the aisle. You know, to stay discrete and all. Skye quickly headed up front and began laying her items on the counter, smiling at the middle-aged woman who appeared from a door in the back.

"Hi, hun. How are you today?" The woman asked, pulling the items to her.

"I'm, uh, fine, thanks," Skye answered quickly, watching Ward closely from the corner of her eye. The cashier began to scan the items with painful slowness, of course starting with the ones that were meant to be Skye's cover.

"That your guy?" The woman asked, nodding lazily over at Ward. Skye made a noncommittal noise in her throat, keeping an eye on the agent as he weaved through the aisles. The cashier paused for a moment to examine one of the tests Skye picked, reading over it for a second.

"That's a good brand. Reliable," she noted, finally scanning it and leaving it _on top of the cover items._ Seriously, did she not get the need to be discrete? Skye just nodded absently, her panic growing as Ward drew closer and closer.

"Could you double bag that, please," Skye asked through clenched teeth, pretending to move her hair over her shoulder but in reality using her one clear glimpse to judge how much more time she had. Ward's eyes met hers and he began to move with purpose, taking it as a sign that she was finished. "Dammit," Skye breathed under her breath.

"Sure thing, sweetie. And don't worry about him. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to settle down with you," the cashier said in a loud whisper, clearly trying to comfort the visibly upset woman in front of her. Skye put even less effort behind this smile than the last one, relaxing only when she saw the last of the tests disappear into the bags. Only then did she catch the words of "comfort" the woman behind the counter spoke, and she cringed.

"Thanks," she said, accepting the bags from the cashier and forcing a happier smile onto her face. "But I don't plan on settling down." The woman merely chuckled.

"Just you wait," she said in amusement right as Ward approached. If Skye was at all religious she would have said a prayer of thanks when the cashier took one long look at Ward and then disappeared into the back of the pharmacy, shaking her head and no doubt continuing the one-sided conversation she'd held with Skye.

"All set?" Ward asked, inclining his head towards Skye's bag. Skye nodded as she fell into step beside him, all but shoving the pharmacy door open.

"Yeah, I've got everything I need."

* * *

Few words could describe the relief Skye felt when the SUV finally came to a stop in the loading area of the Bus. Fitz-Simmons tumbled out and headed into the lab with their new found goodies and Skye silently worked up the nerve to deal with her own purchases when she looked up to see May working on the punching bag. She _had _told Ward that she would be asking May to be her new S.O… And besides, it would buy her some time if her suspicions were correct. She couldn't just stop training all of a sudden and expect no one to notice.

"Thinking of taking up gardening?" Ward's amused voice came from beside her. Skye turned to him in complete confusion, only understanding when he pointed to the _Home and Garden _magazine sticking out of her bag. Skye stood momentarily frozen, wondering if Ward had somehow noticed the tests in there as well, but his quiet chuckle reassured her that she was still safe. For now.

"We need some green on this bus," Skye shrugged, earning her a look of surprise from Ward.

"Coulson might actually appreciate that," he said thoughtfully. Skye nodded, her attention already turning back to May.

"You going to ask her?" Ward asked after a few moments. Skye didn't miss the air of forced casualness he put on, or the way his eyes seemed to be boring into her soul.

"Yup," Skye said easily, holding her bag closer to her as she deliberated, then decided it would be better to wait until she could talk to May when she was alone. "In a minute," she added.

Ward nodded and headed up the stairs, obviously giving her space to do what she needed. But first…

Skye waited until Ward had disappeared through the doorway at the top of the stairs to follow suit, practically running to her room and tossing her bag on the bed. It could wait a little while longer, right?

* * *

"May? Can I talk to you for a second?" The agent paused her assault on the punching bag for only a moment to give Skye a curt nod before returning to her workout. "Right," Skye muttered under her breath, already seeing where this conversation was headed.

"I wanted to know if you would maybe take over being my S.O.," Skye rushed to get her words out as her fingers twisted themselves into knots, studying May's face from where she stood a little ways off. May continued to bunch the bag, saying nothing. The only sign that she even heard what Skye asked was the sudden increase in intensity behind each blow, leaving Skye feeling certain that this was a terrible idea. Still she held her ground, refusing to leave until May spoke.

"No," she said, her voice flat and devoid of all emotion. Skye shifted on her feet, crossing her arms tightly around her, steadying herself for a battle.

"Can you tell me why not?" She asked, unable to keep the irritation out of her voice. May twisted her body to land a forceful kick on the punching bag.

"I don't need you to drag me into your relationship drama," May said tightly, throwing an elbow at the bag this time. Skye could feel her jaw dropping in surprise, an icy chill running down her spine.

"You know?" She asked, moving closer to the older agent so she didn't have to speak quite so loud. May gave a humorless chuckle.

"Coulson may be willing to overlook your obvious relationship with Ward, but I'm not. If you ask me to take charge of your training I'll be obligated to report it. So no, I won't be your S.O." May said through gritted teeth. Skye ran a hand over her hair as she thought, taking another step closer to May.

"Okay, maybe that was true. But it's over and there's nothing between us anymore. There's nothing left to report," Skye pleaded. May didn't turn to look at her or even acknowledge she'd heard a word that was said. Skye stood grounded as the seconds ticked by, waiting for a response.

"Forget it," She scoffed when it became clear May never intended to reply, turning slowly back to the stairs. "I'm sorry I bothered you." She only made it two steps before the punching stopped, the sounds echoing into silence.

"Skye." Skye paused, waiting a full three seconds before slowly turning to face May. The older agent had taken off her gloves and tossed them carelessly to the ground as she approached Skye, facing her head on for the first time since Skye initiated the conversation.

"What?" Skye asked, trying and failing to hide how upset she was. Despite the emotional exit attempt May stood firm, her eyes boring into Skye's.

"When we found you, I told Coulson that bringing you on this plane would be a terrible mistake." Skye couldn't hold back the short laugh of disbelief, stunned that May had called her back just to chastise her again_. _"I've had my doubts about you. You've betrayed our trust and gone against direct orders, putting the lives of your team members in danger in the process." As shame crept its way through Skye she found herself breaking May's gaze, unable to meet the agent's eyes. She knew May was right on some level, but it stung to know that all of her efforts to redeem herself were apparently lost on May.

"But above all else you've proven how much you care about this team and how far you'll go to protect it. You have the potential to be great, Skye. Coulson sees it, Ward sees it, and so do I." Skye's face took on a look of surprise at the unexpected vote of confidence, May's words leaving her speechless.

"But potential isn't enough. You have to work for this. You need to want to be an agent, a _real _agent more than you want anything else. More than you want a relationship." May raised a knowing eyebrow.

"I do want this. That's why I asked you to be my S.O., so I can train without any…distractions," Skye explained, but May just shook her head.

"No, you came to me because you're in a lover's quarrel and you want an easy solution. Well, there is one. You need to get over what was going on between you and him so you can work together without disrupting the team," May's voice remained hard, sparing none of Skye's feelings. Strangely, Skye found this comforting—May didn't mince words and definitely didn't use them when they weren't necessary. Whatever she spoke she honestly believed. "Climbing the ranks of S.H.I.E.L.D. requires not only a dedication to your team, but a dedication to your duty. Your assignments, your supervisors—your duty to them has to come before all else. It's the only way to succeed." By now May had lost the ferocious quality to her voice and stepped closer to Skye, determined to make her understand.

"It's a long road, and it's lonely. You don't get to love anyone for long. So you need to figure out if this is worth it to you. If it is, resolve things between you and Ward and go back to training. If it isn't…" May picked up her gloves and folded them together, signaling that the conversation was just about over. "Leave." Skye watched May in stunned silence as she passed her, eyes following her up the stairs as she tried to figure out what the hell had just happened. May's message came through loud and clear, but a knot twisted in Skye's stomach as her words came back to her.

_Your duty to them has to come before all else. _It was with a terrible, ominous, sinking feeling that Skye realized a little box within a plastic bag upstairs held the answer to the question she couldn't resolve on her own: could she put her duty above everything—and everyone—else?

* * *

Skye knew the mature thing to do would be to seek out Ward, explain what happened, and ask him to continue her training. If she was really ambitious she would have asked him the moment May left so she would still have time to train with him that afternoon. As it was Skye was in the mood to throw some punches—anything to keep her busy and out of her room where an unpleasant task waited for her. But as much as Skye welcomed any chance to procrastinate she wasn't ready to talk to Ward on her own, especially considering what she knew she needed to tell him. So instead Skye waited until Fitz-Simmons were in the common area for the night to sneak back into the cargo bay and train on her own.

She somehow got away with exactly twenty minutes of solitude before she heard the tell-tale sound of footfalls on the stairs. Skye groaned into her pushups as the steps came closer and closer, finally stopping directly in front of her. She didn't look up at first as she stared at Ward's shoes, refusing to acknowledge his presence until she heard the soft "Skye."

With a sigh Skye pulled her legs in and stood, brushing the hair that had escaped her ponytail out of her face and behind her ears. One look told her that this was Grant she was dealing with, not just her S.O. Skye wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or nervous by that fact.

"May told me what happened," Ward admitted. Skye groaned and scrunched her nose.

"Yeah, did she say how she verbally kicked my ass?" Skye saw a hint of a smile play on Ward's mouth as he shook his head.

"Not in so many words. But she said she turned you down." That brought on an awkward pause as Skye deliberated over what to say. She didn't want to beg Ward to take her back, but he made no moved to extend the olive branch first. _You have to work for this, _May's words floated back to her.

"Ward, will you be my S.O. again?" Skye caved, not quite meeting his eyes. He nodded and one hand reached towards her, almost as if it were about to brush against her cheek. Skye took a breath and withdrew, turning back to her mat.

"I should get back to training. Don't want to fall behind," Skye said lightly, hoping Ward would get the hint. If he did, he chose to ignore it. This was turning into a habit for the two of them all over again. Maybe history really was doomed to repeat itself.

"Skye, wait. What's going on with you?" he asked, gripping her arm to stop her from walking away. Skye summoned every ounce of resolve and strength she possessed to turn and face Ward.

"What do you mean?" She asked, taking care to keep her tone light and casual. One look at Ward's face told her he didn't buy it.

"I mean, something's wrong. You're upset, and I need to know if it's at me for what happened or if it's something else." His tone was serious, letting Skye know that Ward wasn't fooling around. Still she gave a useless tug on her arm only to feel his grip tighten. He wasn't letting go. Skye was prepared to demand he drop his hold, but when she finally met his gaze something stopped her. She saw nothing but concern there, concern for her. As if reading her thoughts Ward pulled lightly, bringing Skye closer to him. "Tell me," he ordered in that same tone.

This was it, this was the moment. She should tell him now. He was worried about her and knew something was wrong. Why not just get it over with? _Because I don't know what he'll do, _Skye realized as she studied his face. It was in that moment that Skye realized she didn't know if she could trust him with this. She didn't know if she could handle him turning his back on her and yet, the idea of Ward sacrificing the job he loved didn't feel like a better option. She couldn't tell him. Not yet.

"Forget it, Ward, there's nothing going on." Skye barely had time to finish her sentence before Ward's lips were on hers, the hand that wasn't still holding onto her suddenly resting against the side of her face. Skye allowed herself one moment of confused weakness before she turned away, pulling out of the kiss.

"You don't get to do that," Skye snapped when Ward drew back, his face showing all the conflicting emotions that Skye herself felt. "You ended this, Ward. And now May knows it's over, which means Coulson will. So just…let it go." She watched Ward fight his battle before ultimately coming to a decision.

"They know it's over," he agreed, taking a careful step forward. The hand on Skye's arm slipped down to her hand, raising goosebumps along the path it took. "Maybe that's a good thing." His eyes searched Skye's for a moment before he pulled her close once more.

This time when their lips met, Skye didn't pull away.

* * *

It took three nights of uneasy dreams filled with crying babies, angry agents, and countless painful memories of Skye's unstable upbringing for her to finally accept that she needed to take the tests currently hidden under her bed. She'd done her best to convince the concerned members of her team that she was fine, and Skye considered it a personal achievement that she had managed to get Simmons to let go of the whole medical checkup thing she'd been avoiding since that disastrous morning training session. Yet try as Skye might to tell herself the hard part was over, convincing herself proved to be a lot more difficult than everyone else.

"Oookay. You can do this. Come on Skye, it's no big deal." She paced the length of her room as far away from the tests as possible, waiting for the results to appear. Or at least, that's what she told herself. So what if the box said three minutes? She would give it ten, just to be sure. But now that she was passing into fifteen minute territory, Skye knew it was time.

Skye took a deep breath and made her way over to where all three tests lay side by side. By now she had read the instructions enough to know which symbol for which test meant what, and all she had to do was look. That was it.

"Be strong," she muttered, finally picking up the tests. She allowed herself one second to pause before looking them over one by one.

Pregnant. Skye was pregnant.

She let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and shakily sat down on her bed, staring at the tests as if wiling them to suddenly change their verdict.

It wasn't like she hadn't suspected this—Skye had already known what the tests would say. But seeing them there in front of her, so final, so impartial made it real. All the walls she'd built to keep herself strong until this moment began to crumble. Everything she'd worked for, every plan she'd allowed herself to make was pointless now. She would be back to where she started: homeless and alone (unless you counted Miles, which Skye no longer did). Unless…

Skye dropped her head in her hands. She knew there were other options, but she didn't know if she could go through with any of them. After the messed up childhood she had Skye didn't trust adoption, and that wouldn't help her S.H.I.E.L.D. situation either. But this thinking did nothing to help Skye figure out what she needed to do. The first step should be to tell Ward, but she'd tried that and gotten nowhere. Who could she trust, Simmons? May? No—Skye corrected herself hastily. Not May. Coulson would have to report it if Skye confessed.

Skye jumped up from the bed, unable to sit still. She felt trapped on this plane, like she was fenced in on all sides. She didn't know how she could escape the mess unscathed, unless she ran away. Skye stopped her pacing as she considered it. She _could _run away. It would suck to leave everyone behind without an explanation but it would at least give her a head start before S.H.I.E.L.D. figured out why she ran. She could slip out one night when they were grounded, get to a city where no one could recognize her. The plan made her feel like a criminal, but it was the first idea she had that might just work.

Skye was still musing over the details of how the plan could come together when she heard a sharp rap at the door.

"One second," Skye called out, hurriedly grabbing one of the plastic bags and tossing the tests inside, stashing them under the mattress to be safe.

She took a quick look around and pulled the door open to reveal May waiting for her.

"We have orders. Looks like we have another Centipede test subject headed our way. Coulson wants everyone ready to be briefed in ten," May explained. Skye nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be right there," she promised, already retreating back to her room. May withdrew to round up the rest of the team, leaving Skye to slide her door closed with a shaky breath.

"You can do this," she whispered to herself, checking her face in the mirror to see if there were any signs of life-changing news written in smudged makeup. It was just one more mission. How bad could it be?

* * *

**And now we're brought up to speed! I'm not quite sure how I feel about this chapter so any feedback anyone has would mean a lot to me!**

**As a side note, if it starts to take an obscenely long time to write the next chapter I'll start posting updates on my profile as I work on it. **

**Thanks for reading! **


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